Damage sustained as a result of the fall consisted of breakage of
the object into 3 main parts: the head, main body, and a large chip-like
section from the head.

Numerous losses were apparent along the joins: most of the losses occurred
in the old fill material, some in the original stone.

Several bruises were apparent on the surface, the most serious visible
on the protruding part close to the base of the object, the protruding
part of the left eye, and the protruding part on the side (Click on
images to enlarge for details and exact locations).

Damage sustained to the Ambum Stone
as the result of a fall

During treatment

The object placed in a saturate atmosphere of acetone
vapours to minimise the risk of solvent staining of the surface

The broken head reveals a fault line in the stone

A chip from the head of the object

The inner part of a chip reveals water stains and plant residues from
the period of burial

The stability of the adhered joins was unclear. It was therefore decided
to take the broken sections apart and re-adhere them under a carefully
controlled environment.

The broken body

The restoration was taken apart by placing the object in a saturated
atmosphere of acetone vapours to minimise the risk of solvent staining
of the surface. After 92 hours the adhesive softened and the broken sections
were separated.

After de-assembly, it became apparent that the sculpture had not been
broken before, as was previously assumed. A fault line in the stone -
common in sedimentary rocks - was indicated by the cracks on the surface.
The cracks were very old and shallow, and had been penetrated by water
and plant activity during the period of burial before the object was found
in PNG in the early 1960s.

Water stains and plant residues were revealed on the inner part of a
chip.

The old adhesive was cleaned off and the broken sections were adhered
using conservation sound adhesives. Losses around the edges were filled
with the same adhesive mixed with sand and inpainted to match the surrounding
areas.

After treatment

The right and left sides of the object
after treatment with edges filled with adhesive and sand to match
the surrounding area